Chakwal

Coordinates: 32°55′49″N 72°51′20″E / 32.93028°N 72.85556°E / 32.93028; 72.85556

Chakwal (Urdu: چکوال‎), (Punjabi: چکوال) is the headquarter and main city of Chakwal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located 90 km south-east of the federal capital, Islamabad and is named after Chaudhry Chaku Khan, chief of the Mair Minhas tribe from Jammu, who founded it in 1525 CE during the era of the Mughal Emperor, Zaheerudun Babur. It remained a small but central town of the Dhan Chaurasi Taluka for many centuries. In 1881, during the British era, it was declared the Tehsil Headquarters. It was finally upgraded to district status in 1985. The area of Chakwal city is about 10 square kilometres.

Languages

Inhabitants of Chakwal speak Dhani, Majhi, and Potohari dialects of Punjabi Language.

History

Chakwal is located in the Dhanni region of the Potohar in northern Punjab, Pakistan. During the Independence War of 1857 Chaudharials of Chakwal strengthened the hand of the British Raj by escorting the treasury from Chakwal to Rawalpindi and got the khilats and Jagirs.